The Harris County Clerk’s Office announced Thursday they had processed the vote-by-mail application of Beyoncé.
The singer-songwriter and native Houstonian will be joining millions of other Texans in casting an absentee ballot this election.
“We process every application we receive — if you’re Beyoncé, a teacher, a small business owner, or a first-time voter — every Harris County voter has an equal opportunity for their voice to be heard,” Harris Country Clerk Chris Hollins told the Signal.
“The safest way to vote is to vote by mail,” Hollins said. I encourage every eligible voter to send in an application soon for the general election. To print an application, go to harrisvotes.com, click “Vote by Mail”, then click the button to open a new application. If you did not make the cut-off to vote by mail in the Primary Runoff, voting during the Early Voting period is the next safest method.”
Early voting in Texas is already underway. The last day for election officials to receive a non-postmarked mail ballot is July 14, the same day as the primary election. If it is postmarked, the mail ballot will be accepted for an additional day.
Texans can still register to vote for the November general election (the deadline is in October), but they can no longer apply for a mail-ballot in this month’s runoff elections.
In Texas, you must be 65 or older, in jail, or out of the country, or claim a disability to apply to vote by mail.
Election officials in major counties around the state, like Harris and Travis County, have made it clear that voters can take their health history into consideration when applying to vote by mail.
Voters are not required to expand on what they might consider a disability when applying for a ballot.
Photo: Wikimedia Commons
Fernando covers Texas politics and government at the Texas Signal. Before joining the Signal, Fernando spent two years at the Houston Chronicle and previously interned at Houston’s NPR station News 88.7. He is a graduate of the University of Houston, Jack J. Valenti School of Communication, and enjoys reading, highlighting things, and arguing on social media. You can follow him on Twitter at @fernramirez93 or email at fernando@texassignal.com
